


everything you ever

by crutchiebytheway



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: M/M, Misunderstandings, Post-Canon, self deprecation, talking it out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 15:03:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9129292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crutchiebytheway/pseuds/crutchiebytheway
Summary: "What do you think you're doin'?""Runnin'!"It was what he did best.





	

"I love you." David whispered the words quietly, a secret that floats off his lips and hangs in the tight space between them. His fingers played in Jack's hair. "God, I'm in love with you."

Jack stilled. His lips no longer pressed kisses to the spot beneath David's earlobe, and instead, he buried his face in the crook of Davey's neck. "Don't say that," he mumbled into his skin.

"Why not?" David insisted, sounding slightly hurt. "I do. I am."

"We're just kids, Davey." Jack lifted his head to look him in the eye. "You don't know what love is."

"How could you say that?" David sat up on the bed, forcing Jack into an upright position as well. 

"Dave-"

"Are you telling you didn't feel anything this whole time?"

"That ain't what this is."

"Then _what?_ " David grabbed his hands and held tight for all it was worth. "I don't care if it's against the law, it's just-" Dave's volume had only heightened with each word, and he cut himself off, his next words coming out in a hush. "It's you. I want to be with you."

"No, you don't." Jack pushed himself off the bed and pulled his suspenders back over his shoulders. "Enough of that. You don't want me, Dave."

"Jack!" David called, but Jack is already running out the door. The words "I'm sorry" formed somewhere deep in his chest but got caught in his throat and swallowed down.

-

The newsies knew that something was very, very different when David and Les arrived for selling but didn't meet up with Jack. It was nearly unheard of; the Jacobs always sold with Jack, ever since they first got there. Jack thought he heard Les calling his name, but he kept his back turned and they never found him. Instead, the two went out on their own and Jack dragged Crutchie along with him.

"Don't get me wrong, Jack," Crutchie said as they walked, "I'm glad to be selling with you and all, but what about Dave? And Les?"

"They don't want to see me," Jack explained. "Trust me, Crutch. It's better this way."

Crutchie gave him a look. "No offense, Jacky Boy, but that sounds like bologna to me."

Jack scoffed.

"I'm serious!" Crutchie insisted. "You guys are best friends. Or... whatever you are."

Jack's heart rate picked up as a flash of white hot fear shot through his body. How much did Crutchie know? Who would he tell? He fought to push the feeling away. It didn't matter anymore, anyways. David was nothing to him. That's the way it had to be.

"Whatever's going on here can be fixed by just talking about it." Crutchie shrugged. "It's what I'd do if it were you and me."

With a sigh, Jack realized that Crutchie was right. He wrapped an arm around him and ruffled his hair. "You're too good to me, Crutchie." 

-

"I can't believe you."

"No, I know, I know," Jack said quickly, before David could change his mind. "Just hear me out, Davey, that's all I'm asking."

"What could you possibly have to say to me?" David asked, stepping out onto the fire escape. "Did you come to tell me you don't love me again? Not to mention it's the middle of the night, did you come to wake up my family and expose me?"

David's tone was almost enough to make Jack turn and leave, but the color of his eyes alone could convince him to stay. More than that, it was the freckles on his cheeks, the nervous shuffling of his fingers, his hair sticking up from his pillow. Standing before him were all the little things that made Davey who he was. Jack's knees softened. That was why he was here.

"You probably hate me, Dave," was all he could seem to say.

David stared at him. "Why are you here?"

"I'm-" Jack hurriedly ran his fingers brought his hair. "Shit, I don't know, Davey. I'm here to apologize."

David sighed, but said nothing, waiting for Jack to talk.

"I'm sorry I said that to you, Davey. I didn't mean any of it. You're smart, Dave, you know that? You get people. Their emotions and all that. You understand it all."

David shook his head slightly. "I don't know what your point is."

Jack extended his arms slightly in mock surrender. "What I'm sayin' is is that it's harder for me. I don't understand like you do and... I don't know, I guess I just panicked."

"But why?" David sat, and signaled for Jack to join him. He no longer kept his distance. "I thought it was clear what we were beforehand. How I felt about you. When you ran I thought I must've done something wrong."

"It was just hearin' it out loud, you know?" Jack braced himself with another shuttering breath. "Davey, something bad has happened to anyone that's loved me. I'm bad news and you don't deserve that." He dug his fingernails into his palm. "Your family doesn't deserve that."

"Jack," David said softly. He reached a hand over to enclose Jack's. "Nothing's going to happen to me."

"You don't know that!"

"I'm willing to take that risk." He flashed a bittersweet smile. "Like I said, it's you I want to be with, Jack. Not anyone else."

"I just don't want you making a decision you'll regret."

"I'm not going to regret you. I love you," David reiterated. "As long as you'll have me, that is."

Jack's heart settled in contentment. "Of course."

David brought a hand to the back of his neck, pulled Jack closer and kissed him, and Jack suddenly lost any sensation of doubt or worry. There was only David, and there was only love.

**Author's Note:**

> hi let me know what you think and come say hi on tumblr at @conlonspots


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